Dealers
by banality
Summary: "Let go of her." His smile faltered, and the wretched arm around May loosened.


The hallway of Hoenn High bustled with excited students. Occasionally, a thrilled shriek echoed across the corridors.

"What's taking him so long?" Green Ruse wondered aloud, as she peered out of the classroom windows with mild irritation.

As one of the Dealers of Hoenn High, it was her duty to acquire as much information as possible, so as to ensure a smooth-sailing and gold-raking high school life.

Three week ago, Green has caught on to rumours concerning the transfer of a wealthy student, Coquette. It was not unheard of to hear of rich kids transferring to a school for commoners, but it was nonetheless, highly suspicious. Green's woman intuition told her that there was a need to unravel the mystery, and through several… means, Green successfully dug out Coquette's wonderful history. Ah, it always filled her with contentment when she is in possession of ways to capitalize on depraved people's deepest darkest secret.

Sinking back into her seat, Green tapped her foot impatiently as she agonized over Silver's painfully long 'session of enlightenment'. In layman's terms, Silver was observing Coquette's behavior, under Green's command.

"Worried?" May Maple, one of Green's more intimate friends, teased playfully.

"Of course not, there's still more than an hour before our break ends. I'm fine as long as he returns before then," Green huffed. She was the one who told Silver to scrutinize Coquette after all. Then again, she had only requested for him to be away for no more than half an hour. Yet, Silver was already five minutes late. Now, that was unprecedented.

"I'd be more worried about myself, if I were you. Pigging out on chocolate? You don't want to end up bloated and single, do you?" Drew Hayden interjected, flicking his hair perfunctorily. Smirking tauntingly at May like a prince of arrogance, May's cheeks flushed with a visible hue of scarlet as she opened her mouth to retort.

Green heaved a heavy sigh of annoyance. Ash Ketchum merely chuckled at his friends' quotidian quarreling, as he merrily led his spoon into his girlfriend's mouth.

"Bicker elsewhere, lovebirds!" Green hissed.

At that, Ash looked incredibly stumped. "But Misty and I are not bickering!"

Green slapped her forehead. Dawn Berlitz giggled.

"She wasn't referring to us, idiot!" Misty Waters scolded, her cheeks flaming up in embarrassment over Ash's blunt admittance of their relationship.

"When did you two hook up anyway?" Dawn pressed. "Well, it was so obvious right from the start!" Dawn burst into peals of laughter. Besides her, Paul Frais rolled his eyes.

Misty buried her face in her hands. Ash smiled unfazed, and gently pried away Misty's hands to admire her face unobscured. Dawn broke out of her laughter to introduce a new topic for conversation.

"Speaking of lovebirds, did you guys see the transfer student Coquette? He has got such a charming appearance, almost all the single girls are swooning after him!"

Dawn paused. May's body turned to face Dawn with a look of utmost interest, leaving Drew annoyed to have been interrupted during their 'moment of rivalry'.

"Some taken girls are swooning after him too! He is that charming," Dawn squealed.

Paul twitched. May exhaled with understanding and Drew stiffened upon seeing her reaction.

"I'm leaving to look for Silver," Green interrupted, and stalked out of the classroom. Anxiety clouded her face as she pushed through the throng of students. What could possibly be holding Silver up? An injury? Had he been caught? Her data had stated that Coquette isn't fearsome in that regards. Green hastened her footsteps.

* * *

Back in the classroom, a storm has brewed between May and Drew.

"Your eating habits will chase all males away. A guy like a handsome transfer student is way out of your league, he wouldn't take any interest in you," Drew scoffed, his tone unusually harsh as green waves of jealousy swirled within him, like a nasty marsh threatening to overwhelm him.

"You don't always have to put me down," May's eyes flashed balefully, and for some unknown reason, Drew's insult tore at heart incredibly. "I'll prove to you my womanly charms!" She took Drew by his hand and hauled him out of the classroom. Drew's frustration seemingly abated at their contact.

Paul grunted and stood up. Throwing his finished lunchbox into the dustbin, he too exited the room, with a face that reads: this is stupid.

Dawn moaned as she was left to be the third wheel.

* * *

"Silver!" Green pounced on him and pulled him into a tight hug. "You've worried me!"

Silver blushed lightly, a small smile forming. "I'm sorry. Blue came to pester me about what you were planning to do."

Green frowned, and tightened her hold around the boy protectively. Blue Oak is an unpleasant fellow dealer, and the two shared a rivalry as fierce as May and Drew, the difference being that the two genuinely dislike each other. Definitely, they do. Their interactions always involved insults from Blue. Such endearment. Green could in no way comprehend why Silver had the unsettling suspicion that Blue did not abhor her, when it clearly was the case.

"Well, you're fine with me now," she replied soothingly. "Let's put Blue out of our mind and we can go over your report with a nice cup of coffee to ease things up."

After inquiring with many students for the location of Coquette, the pair made their way to the school fountain. The trip was filled with a gloomy silence, and the two gathered curious glances.

Right now, Drew was feeling immensely sour, and he knew the cause of it. The lovely girl he was attracted to was pulling him along to see her utilise her appeal on a supposedly good-looking guy. Now, the very thought of May behaving flirtatiously towards a guy other than him riled him up and consumed his soul with spite and menacing thoughts. What if May fell for the guy? His heart constricted torturously and he felt a burning desire to simply stop May in her tracks, pull her into a passionate embrace, apologise and plead for her to become his life partner, looking at him and only him. But of course, his pride would not allow for him to do so, and it probably never would.

Curse his hubris.

As they approached the fountain, Drew witnessed the lighting up of May's eyes at the sight of a guy who spelled peril and the urge to roll his eyes and retch clawed at his heart.

"Wait here, Hayden," May commanded with the authority of a tyrannical queen, and she flung Drew's hand away. Yes, they've been holding hands all this while. Drew's face fell, and turned into a scowl as an amazing smile not meant for him adorned May's face.

If he wants to stop her, it's now or never. He raises a hand… and then slowly puts it back down. For now, Drew decides, he'll simply watch over May. Keeping that thought in mind, he proceeds to glower intimidatingly at the lucky bastard, who remained completely unaware of the hate he was receiving.

May appear to have asked for some alone time with Coquette, and his club of swooning girls obediently trotted away. It was a good thing that Hoenn High generally had good natured girls. It would have been troublesome for Drew if he had to protect May from deranged fangirls. Not that he minds.

He watched from afar with enmity as the two chatted amiably. The transfer student, Drew had to admit, is indeed blessed with looks that rivals his own. With silver locks, a matching pair of eyes, and a slender figure, Coquette did indeed fit the bills of a prince charming. But of course, Drew convinces himself, Drew Hayden is the better-looking one. Now, why didn't he have a fan club like he does?

May laughed, it was the most beautiful sound in the world, Drew remarks. To his horror, Coquette lifts a stray tress of May hair and gently placed a kiss on it. What tactics! No wonder Green labelled him as sickening predator. He shrugged away his amazement at the accuracy of Green's information. He has yet to come to face with the fact that Green is one of the shady Dealer figures this school has.

May turned a dark shade of crimson, and so did Drew. He noted with brimming anger that his arm went around May's delicate and slender waist, and he did not miss May flinching briefly at their sudden contact. He stormed towards the pair.

"Let go of her."

They turned, and both wore looks of confusion. Drew had to remind himself to 'play it casual' in front of May.

"And who might you be?" Coquette answered, rather pleasantly. Under Drew's intense look of death, his smile faltered, and the wretched arm around May loosened.

"Keep your hands to yourself, you lecherous man, and don't let me repeat it twice," Drew warned, completely forgetting about the pretense of casualty.

May raised her eyebrows and Coquette smirked. Nonetheless, he removed his arm from May and Drew whisked her away to a secluded corner of the school. Convenient, wasn't it?

"Drew, that was rude!"

"He was the rude one."

"…"

"Wait, Drew, does this means that you've acknowledged my womanly charm?" May had a look of triumph in her eyes.

"He was only being polite."

May bristled.

"Besides, you had plenty of charm to begin with. I'd acknowledge that long ago. You're the loveliest lady I've ever had the luck to meet; you don't have to prove that."

May's jaws dropped opened, and she barely managed to let out an intelligent response, "You're kidding me right?"

"No," Drew's reply was firm, and his eyes bore into May's. The look in his eyes was so serious that heat gushed to May's face. Suffice to say, May is not used to Drew behaving as he is.

"Um, okay, thank you?" May fiddled with her fingers, and nervously avoided eye contact with Drew. Her heart threatens to explode.

"I-," Drew began. May nodded and tensed for his full sentence. Ruby clouded Drew's cheeks and he lost the courage he had moments ago.

"Of course I'd been joking. Fooled you, didn't I?" Drew snorted. As his voice dropped, his heart felt like it has taken a plunge as well. Damn, he ruined everything.

As expected, May was more than livid. "Drew Hayden!"

* * *

Blue, who had watched their exchange, simply shrugged. Drew is fool. Then again, he is one too.

* * *

**A/N: **Who would you all prefer Green to be paired up with? I personally favour Silver, but Blue complements her more in this fic. Tough decisions, hmm.

Reviews, critiques, ideas, suggestions, favorites and etc. are greatly appreciated! =)


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